Rosemary Honey Turkey Meatballs are the perfect bite-sized hors d’oeuvre for a cocktail party and/or fun to serve as a main course for dinner. They can be served over mashed potatoes or pasta, and with all sorts of tasty sides. Rosemary Turkey Meatballs with a touch of honey are sweet, savory and oh-so-delicious!
Good things come in small packages. That’s what I’ve always been told, and that’s what my kids will always be told, too. (I’m 5-feet, 1-3/4-inches on my tippy-toes.)
Coincidentally, I love small plates and little bites — because yes, even with food, good things come in small packages!
I absolutely love a ton of flavor, perfect textures, and cuteness packed into one delicious bite. And let me tell you, Rosemary Turkey Meatballs with a touch of honey are that bite! 
This is why I love hors d’oeuvres parties so much. And dessert parties with bite-sized sweets.
One bite! Two, I consider cumbersome!
Rosemary is such a delicious, aromatic herb to use fresh in recipes. You’ll find if you look around, it’s quite commonly grown in residential neighborhoods. Perhaps in your yard? If not, maybe a neighbors? This is one I try not to purchase.
Oh, and little goes a long way. This recipe has about 1 tablespoon mixed into 1-pound of turkey, and you can really taste its earthy pine-like flavor, which is balanced so perfectly with the honey.
So with no further adieu, I present these super cute, unbelievably tasty, bite-sized Rosemary-Honey Turkey Meatballs!
They’re another part of the menu of small plates I’ve been cooking up for Rosh Hashanah. They’re fantastic along side the Apricot Glazed Carrots!
Not celebrating? Then share them with friends this weekend! You can of course you don’t need a holiday to eat these delicious rosemary turkey meatballs — have them anytime!
Some fun things to serve with Rosemary-Honey Turkey Meatballs:
- Coconut Spiced Carrot Soup
- Meyer Lemon Thyme Spaghetti
- Mashed Okinawan Sweet Potatoes
- Make Ahead Creamy Mashed Potatoes from Recipe Tin Eats
Rosemary Honey Turkey Meatballs are the perfect bite-sized hors d'oeuvre for a cocktail party and/or fun to serve for the main course for dinner. They're sweet, savory and oh-so-delicious!
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped, fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dry vermouth
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil for the pan
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Coat a small sauté pan with olive oil and add the shallots, rosemary, and garlic. Cook just until the shallots are soft, and it's very aromatic, about 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vermouth, turn the heat to high, and reduce it completely. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and let it cool to room temperature.
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Once the shallot mixture has cooled, add it to the turkey along with the breadcrumbs, honey, salt, and a bit of pepper, in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Use your hands to fully incorporate all of the ingredients.
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Shape the turkey into balls that are approximately 1 to 2-inches, placing them on a large plate as you work. (If you have an ice-cream scoop about this size, that's prefect.)
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Coat a large non-stick skillet with olive oil and place it over medium-low heat. Add the meatballs and cook for about 3 minutes to brown the bottoms. Then turn the meatballs over, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to low. Let them cook and steam for about 3 to 4 more minutes, just until they are cooked through.
If you don't have rosemary growing in your own yard, I'm pretty sure you could find some in your neighbors' yards!
Since I want my oldest son who has Celiac Disease, to eat these yummy meatballs, I use gluten-free breadcrumbs. I make them weekly with the ends of his gluten-free bread loaves.
amy says
September 28, 2011 at 8:48 pmThese sound delicious, but where does the honey in the name come in?
valentina says
September 28, 2011 at 10:22 pmThanks for pointing that out, Amy! Just added it — 2 tablespoons! 🙂
Jason DeMartino says
September 28, 2011 at 8:49 pmSounds good. Do you find that the breadcrumbs dry out the meatball at all? I will sometimes use stale bread, tear it up and soak it in milk or water, then wring it out and use that in place of breadcrumbs. Works well, especially for very lean ground meats.
valentina says
September 29, 2011 at 5:51 amThanks for the comment, Jason. In this recipe the breadcrumbs don’t seem to dry out the meatballs — perhaps b/c of the honey and olive oil in the shallot mixture. I love the idea of soaking breadcrumbs in milk! I must try this! 🙂
Jason DeMartino says
October 4, 2011 at 10:54 pmIt’s an old Italian Grandmother trick – gives the meatballs a more velvety texture. Be sure to use stale bread chunks – not breadcrumbs; they’ll just disintegrate.
Sippitysup says
September 29, 2011 at 1:12 amfinding it in your neighbors yard is called urban foraging! GREG
valentina says
September 29, 2011 at 5:52 amI’m an urban forager! 😉
anna says
September 29, 2011 at 3:08 amLittle hands make amazing recipes too! Love your masterpiece! keep sharing =)
valentina says
September 29, 2011 at 5:53 amAnna, I agree! I love cooking things my kids can easily help with!
Aimee says
September 29, 2011 at 5:00 pmThese look delicious – I love the idea of having them as appetizers. And I also love that you’re encouraging “urban foraging.” 🙂
nechama says
October 23, 2013 at 11:49 amI’m new to your delicious recipes.
May I ask, however, why don’t you give us ‘nutrition facts’ about your various recipes, i.e., carbs, sugar, vitamins, etc.? I’ve seen on other sites a box posted with such information. It would be extremely helpful.
BTW these Turkey Meatballs look so tempting and am looking forward to making them.
valentina says
October 23, 2013 at 6:49 pmHi there, thank you so much for your comment and for checking out my recipes!
I cook with fresh, whole foods, and try to be as health conscious as possible, and I believe (at least in terms of food), that most things are okay in moderation. So with that as my belief, and this not being a a blog about nutrition and diet, I’ve chosen not to include the nutrition chart. I’m sorry, as I do my best to please all of my readers. Hope you understand where I’m coming from. 🙂
Marla says
November 7, 2014 at 4:46 amTried these last night. They are soooo delicious. I am on a strict diet right now and am trying to find creative, delicious foods that fit those restrictions. this hit the mark! I removed the breadcrumbs because I can’t have, and it didn’t seem to hurt. They were a bit less structured I suppose but were still wonderful. This will be a mainstay…regardless of diet!
valentina says
November 7, 2014 at 5:12 amMarla, I’m thrilled these were a hit! Thanks for sharing, and I’m so happy these worked around your restrictions! 🙂